Thicker than Blood
by Zilleniose
Summary: [AU] Sam always knew her love for Danny was never meant to be... but this time, it's not because he's clueless. Meet Samantha and Daniel Fenton, the two youngest of the three Fenton siblings. [DxS] [Incest]
1. 18th Birthday

Yes, yes I know. I should update Remordere, or probably even finish it before starting a new project. Can we all say writers block? Ahh don't worry, I've got enough material stockpiled to keep spitting out new chapters for a while. :3

But for now, behold! Our newest creation. Our, being myself and ChibiSamiSala, once again. Why are our stories always on my account you ask? Well because I'm always the one stuck with the editing, among other things. That, and, yours truly usually comes up with the base ideas anyhow. xD But man, I couldn't do half as good of a job without ChibiSamiSala. Shower her with praise!

For all of you wondering about the summary, your assumptions are probably correct. Yes. This is still a Sam x Danny fic, and yes, they are siblings. In other words, incest.

Aww c'mon, don't gimme that look.

Both ChibiSamiSala and I believe that true love can be found in many shapes and forms, even ones that are looked down upon. And we think that if in some parallel universe where Sam and Danny were cursed to be blood relations, they'd still find love. Because they were made for each other. :3 Now didn't that just bring a tear to your eye?

So we hope you'll give our new baby a chance! We love you all!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter One

_18th Birthday_

Why did life have to be so complicated?

Samantha 'Sam' Fenton quietly bundled herself against the December wind, her black velvet jacket huddled tight over her body as she buried her nose in her purple striped scarf, trying to stop if from getting any more pink then it already was, her cheeks rosy as the wind stung her milky white skin, raven black hair that contrasted so violently with her flesh and stunning violet eyes, flew about half wildly, obscuring her vision slightly. She tried to swat it back down, having long since lost the hair tie that had held it up into a ponytail. She sighed, wishing that she had passed her drivers test last week. Despite how run down her brother's car was, it would have been warmer then walking down to that damn book store, just to get a present for the one person she had been head over heels for since the second grade.

Not that he would realize that she had ordered it weeks ago before it even came out just for him, because honestly, she knew it wasn't supposed to be. But it was his birthday today, and she didn't want to go cheap on him, even if he wouldn't see it anymore then a obligated gift.

Love was so complicated, no matter what you did, you couldn't change where it aimed yourself. It just, happened.

Not that her brother helped any, telling her that she'd never get a boyfriend and end up an old woman with eighty hundred cats stuffed in her house as an arsenal against neighboring kids.

She didn't think he knew, but she actually cried herself to sleep the night he told her that, knowing that it was probably true.

Her eldest sister Jazz though, ragged him to death for the little comment, so Danny eventually came into her room and apologized, and promptly got a boot to the face.

It was how things went in The Fenton house hold, with Maddie and Jack Fenton and their three children, 19 year old Jazz, 17 year old Danny, and 14 year old Samantha. There was always some type of war going on, for sure, though normally it was Danny who started them.

Sam rolled her eyes, her cheeks burning a little more at the thought of her brother, and she quietly hugged the package to her chest again, hoping that he would like it, to lost in her little world to watch where she was going.

Moments after she drifted off into her own little dream world, she ran smack into something rather warm and soft to be a light fixture... like those three other times she had done so in the past week, resulting in a small red bruise on her forehead for an hour or so afterwards. "Hey, watch where you're-" The familiar voice groaned, the sound of a rattling trash bag following his annoyed tone. "Oh, Sam... when did you go out?"

The familiar voice brought her out of her reverie, well the collision helped too, and she felt her face burn as she looked up into the face of no other then Daniel Fenton, and she quickly changed her expression to that of aggravation, franticly trying to shove the package inside of her jacket. Speak of the devil... "A while ago, Danny, I...uh...wanted to take a walk... "

The raven-haired boy sighed, rolling his eyes as he put the lid on the trash can and dusting his hands off. "Did you tell mom this time? Or did you 'forget' again?" He raised an eyebrow at her, like he was about to reprimand her. Little sisters...

"I left a note." She said cheerily, trying to back away from him without him noticing the massive bulge at her middle that made her look like she was pregnant with a box. "What do you care anyway? I'm not a little kid, I can go for walks without holding my big brother's hand." She mocked him, grinning playfully as she made it half way too the door. Almost there...and he'd have no idea...

He blinked at her, watching her like she was growing a third arm with every step closer to the door. "_Samantha_..." He said quietly, before placing his hands on his hips, his gaze obviously fixated on the rather noticeable bulge in the girl's coat. "What are you hiding? If it's another cat, you are not hiding it in my room. I swear I still smell feces in that one corner where the last one left me a 'present'..."

"No no no, I didn't stop by the lab this time." She said innocently. "It's..._not gonna tell you!_" And wit that she rand through the door, the sound of her stampeding up her stairs and Jazz giving a yelp of indication as she shoved past her reaching his ears.

Danny blinked nonchalantly as he stared at the door, listening to the sounds of her frantically running up to her room. Oh well... if it's something she's not supposed to have, Dad no doubt will find it... especially after that one time she tried to smuggle an ecto-foamer from the basement to help her with her overactive environmentalist protests. "Fourteen years of living with that little enigma," He sighed and walked up the steps, opening the door to Fentonworks. "And I still don't know how that alien brain of hers works." With that, he shut the door behind him, and returned to helping his parents with some last minute chores.

The day went by slowly, Sam carefully wrapping the present so that it looked perfect, with some old wrapping paper from his eighth birthday that their mother kept hidden under her bed in an attempt to keep at least a little bit of her son's childhood with her. She thought it was a cute touch, since it was covered in childish rockets and the like. Danny was the avid NASA enthusiast, ever since Sam had cognate thought, and probably even before. The surprise party would be fun, now, all she had to do was get her brother out of the house for two hours while her parents set up everything for the party. She almost wondered if Danny himself had forgotten that it was his birthday... well, how ever it went, she had to think of a good excuse to drag him off...

There was a faint knock on her door, before a familiar female voice whispered just barely enough to hear. "Sam? You in there?"

"Just a minute!" She said quickly, setting the present aside before unlocking her door, looking up at her older sister curiously. "If you need me to pluck your eyebrows again Jazz, This isn't the time."

"No, no..." She said quickly, grinning as she slipped into her room and closed the door after her. "I thought of a way to get Danny out of the house while we make the preparations. You up to it?"

She arched an eyebrow, nodding as she flopped down on her bed. She and Jazz had very different tastes, while Jazz's room was pink and happy, Sam's was downright Vampiric. It was funny that they got along so well. "Of course. Just give me the details and I'll do my best."

"Well" Her grin grew wider, which probably should have scared her little sister more than a tad. "There's a carnival down at the pier this weekend, right?" She reached out and poked Sam on the nose, announcing her plan like she had thought of a way to end world hunger. "You're going to drag him to it."

Sam blinked, before laughing wildly. "Oh yeah, that's not going to be suspicious at all." She grinned, masking the way her heart was fluttering. Carnival, _Carnival_, it was almost like a date! She could have flown. "I'll do it, As long as you give me some money do to it."

"Of course, of course..." She sighed and reached into her back pocket, pulling out a pair of twenties and handing them to her sister. "Tell him you really want to see that new haunted house that has the 16 age restriction. That's you're kind of thing... and it would sound like a valid excuse to drag him along since you need supervision."

She nodded, taking the twenties and pocketing it with a little grin. "You want me to drag him out right now? What time do we have to be back?"

"Well, it's 4:00 now." She looked at her watch, then up towards the ceiling thoughtfully. "If we get everyone over here and finish the decorations by 6:00 or 7:00... Yeah, you should probably take him now. We don't want to start the party too late."

She nodded, ruffling through her closet to cover herself in layers. It was cold out, so she knew she was going to need it. A long sleeved shirt, then a sweater, then a vest and then her long jacket, complete with cat ears on the thick hood and a tail that bounced at her knees. She buttoned it up and pulled on her scarf and squirmed her feet into her boots, thick violet stockings covering her legs and a short pleated skirt more for show then for any warmth. "Call me when you're ready Jazz." She said quickly stuffing her wallet into her pocket along with her cell phone, and headed towards her brothers room, not even bothering to knock as she threw open his door.

"_AHH_!" Danny practically screamed, almost falling off the chair at his computer as he turned to look incredulously at his little sister, a few stray homework papers falling off the desk and onto the carpeted floor. "Damn it Sam, I told you to knock before you barge in like that!"

"Why? Its not like your reading dirty magazines right?" She grinned maliciously, before stomping over to him and grabbing his wrists, dragging him towards her. "Come on Danny, I need you."

He blushed faintly, before standing to his feet, and ripping his hand away from hers. "I was not looking at dirty magazines!"

"You _were_ weren't you!" She crowed, laughing. "Oh you are so dead, I'm going to tell dad and he's going to tear your room apart. All your secret's be out in the open!"

"I SAID I WASN'T!" He repeated, his face turning crimson. "I was working on my senior lit project! You just startled me by barging into my room like that!"

"Uh huh." She crossed her arms, her voice almost sing song. "I'm going to tell dad...that is, if you don't help me out tonight."

"God dammit..." Danny groaned loudly, rubbing the back of his head as he glared at the floor, then slowly, towards his little sister. "Fine. What do you want?"

"You seeee" She played dumb. "There's this Haunted house down on the pier, in that carnival that came last week? It's got an age limit, unless your 16, you need supervision. Something about developing minds and all that." She rolled her eyes.

"And you think I'll take time off the precious weekend to take you to some stupid haunted house... why?" He asked blankly, looking non too amused.

"Because if you dont." She narrowed her eyes at him. "_DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!"_

"_AHH_! What the Hell are you doing!" He quickly jumped forward, slapping his hand over her mouth in a panic. "Sam! Oh no..." But it was too late... he already heard the pounding footsteps of his father ascending the stairs and running to his room.

"_SAMMY_!" Came their father's thundering voice, and he burst into the room, looking around wildly. "Did someone hurt you? Was it a ghost?"

Sam gave a muffled yelp behind her brother's hand, trying to pull it free enough for her to talk. "Oh no, I just wanted to tell you that Danny's going to be taking me out to the carnival. _Right_, Danny?"

The raven-haired boy growled under his breath, glaring at Sam one last time before cracking a horribly forced smile up at his father. "Yeah... we were about to leave..." He said through fritted teeth.

"Oh." Jack said slowly, before catching on, amazingly, keeping his big mouth closed about the surprise party. "Well then have fun kids! If you see any ghosts, just give me a call." He lumbered out of the room, muttering something about ectoplasm.

"So..." Sam said cheerfully, "Let's go."

"I hate you." His blue eyes narrowed at her dangerously.

"I love you too, big brother." She said in a sickeningly sweet voice, while inside her conscious wailed in horror at his words. "Come on, you're driving." And with that she dug through the piles of clothing in his closet, tossing him a few layers. "The ride opens in like 10 minutes, let's go!"

"Yeah, yeah..." He mumbled, and pulled his coat on over his shoulders.

A carnival… how bad could it be?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And there's chapter one! Flames are welcome, because we do want to know what you people think of it. And of course there's going to be at LEAST one reader going "Eew! Incest! GROSS!"

And you know what? That's perfectly normal. Because ChibiSamiSala and I are twisted, screwed up little psychopaths. :D

So be sure to let us know what you really think deep down about our fic, so that we can decide if we're going to make this a continuous project. :3

Until next time y'all!

Zoey


	2. Carnival

Holy cow! There really were a lot of positive reviews out there! Along with a few uneasy ones… but that's okay, that's exactly what I want to hear. :3 Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!

Oh, and guess what? I might be spewing out yet another project other than Remordere soon. Although with two college courses, ACT prep class, high school, and my microscopic immune system, you all might be seeing ChibiSamiSala doing more of the editing than me. xD

So without further ado, here's chapter two! (Heehee, that rhymed)

-------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Two

_Carnival_

The teenage boy messed with his hair for a few seconds, then shoved his hands in his pockets and followed out the overly eager teen, suddenly feeling a little scared. The only time Sam is ever this happy is usually when she has a plan... and her 'plans' always seem to get him in trouble. After a quick trip through the kitchen, he grabbed his keys and walked outside, the happy Goth girl (wow, there's a paradox) following close after. "Hop in, and hope to god the heater still works." He said before opening the door and sliding in, flipping in the keys as the ignition hummed to life.

She shivered as she pulled her hood over her head, cat ears sitting haphazardly as she scrambled to the door, hugging herself as she waited for him to unlock the door. "Danny, hurry!"

He ignored her for the time being, closing his own door and turning the heat all the way up, before slowly looking towards the poor girl who was still standing out in the cold, an amused grin spread across his face. "What's that?" He called in a sing-song voice.

"_Danny_!" She cried out, frustrated as she banged her little gloved hands on the window. "Don't be a jerk! Let me in! It's freezing!" To emphasize her point, she started to shiver, whimpering sadly. She knew exactly how to play her brother.

The moment she started the pity act, he sighed and reached over, pulling the lock on the door and motioning for her to come in. "Are you sure we can't go to the carnival another day? It's freezing out..."

"Once we get moving we'll be fine." She said softly as she closed the door, huddling her knees to her chest, blowing on her hands as she looked over at him with her wide violet eyes ringed in thick black lashes, her cheeks rosy and looking almost like porcelain against her hair. "And I really want to go on that ride. I've been waiting forever..."

"Alright, alright, we'll do it." He sighed, then put the car in reverse, backing it out of the driveway while muttering something about ghosts and frostbite.

She didn't quite listen, buckling up as she kept her knees to her chest, resting her cheek on her knees as she hugged them lightly, sneaking little looks over at her brother once and a while, feeling her stomach sink with butterflies before she buried her face in between them, shaking her head back and forth. What was wrong with her? She needed to stop obsessing over him, she really did. It just wasn't right...It wasn't at all. And even worse, it would never happen, she couldn't ever tell him that she did like him, no, love him. She loved him more then she should, ever, love him. It almost made her sick.

The ride was short and quiet, which was unusual for the two siblings, since they got along fairly well, and would easily get caught up in a conversation about the most random things. But as of late, Sam started to become particularly quiet around him. 'Maybe it's a phase.' He thought to himself, before turning into the parking lot at the pier. Surprisingly enough, it was bustling with people, despite the freezing temperature. "We're here." He announced in a nonchalant tone, before he turned off the car and stepped out, waiting for Sam to follow suit.

She didn't move for a moment, but then sighed and stretched out her legs, releasing her seatbelt and climbed out, tucking her jacket closer and closed the door after her. "Awesome. Let's get some cocoa." She said with a small smile, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she made her way around the car and into the crowd of people, looking for the closest place to get some.

"I'm assuming it's my treat?" He asked, sounding more like he got stuck with a babysitting job than he was having fun. He looked around a bit too, before reaching out and tugging one of the car ears on her hood, and without a word, began dragging her across the crowd.

"Hey, I have money!" She said indignantly, stumbling as she trotted a bit to keep up with him, one of her boots catching on a slick spot and she screamed, toppling right on her face luckly into more snow then cement. "Oh...ouch..." She whimpered, half climbing to her knees, quite a few people stopping and staring at her. Great way to start this off.

"Haha! Geez Fenton... I never knew you'd willingly waltz out in broad daylight." An amused male tone came from behind, followed by a pair of juvenile laughs and the sound of a high-five.

"Maybe she's Goth because she's depressed she can't walk straight."

Sam glowered over her shoulder, pushing back her hood as she stood up, one of her knees bleeding from her rude introduction with the ground. "Honestly, you two need to get better insults. Oh wait, that's right, your brains stopped developing once you turned two."

"What was that?" Dash Baxter growled back, stepping forward to give her another (no doubt witty and intelligent) insult, before a hand from a fellow Freshman on his shoulder stopped him. "Dude, I think we should go." Kwan offered with a nervous smile.

"And why's _that_?"

"Haven't you heard?" The Asian jock whispered, as a pair of feet trudged through the snow towards them. "Daniel's with her, and he's got a total sister complex. He's very - " Quite suddenly the blond haired boy was pulled upwards, a tight fist holding the front of his football jersey as a pair of threatening blue eyes glared down at him.

"...Overprotective..." Kwan squeaked.

"If I ever see you within 50 yards of my little sister again," Danny uttered, his voice dark and serious. "I'll kick your ass seven ways to Sunday. Is that clear?"

Sam turned scarlet, her mind trying to process what Kwan had said, before she tugged her hood back on her head, allowing Danny to surprisingly deal with the two jocks himself, rather then complaining that she could fight her own battles. No way, That idiot had to be just lying, Danny was protective of her, but that's just what brothers did.

"Y-yes sir! Crystal!" Dash laughed nervously, suddenly looking like a scared puppy. The eldest Fentons were known for their strength and fighting abilities since they take an active part in ghost hunting, and Daniel was no exception - though he used to be pretty scrawny when he was younger, there's no doubt he could easily bust the jock's ass with one hand tied behind his back. With that, Danny let him go, giving the two boys a rather sour glare as they ran off.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked softly, turning around and bent down, inspecting the startled girl for any injuries. "That was a nasty fall..."

"Uh..." She switched feet, her knee throbbing slightly as the purple stocking stained with red. "Just some scrapes, I'm fine..."

He blinked a few times, raising an eyebrow before he reached down, pressing his fingers lightly to the darkened area on her stockings, his indifferent gaze not once leaving hers.

She flinched unconsciously. "It's just a scrape, I'll be fine! I wanna go on the ride!" She said stubbornly, pulling at his fingers.

"No way." He gave her a stern look. "You're going home to make sure that isn't infected. Come on, back in the car."

"I will not!" She met his look with a glare. "If we go home now I'm going to make sure dad tears apart every inch of your room."

"And what makes you think I have anything in there I don't want him to find anyway?"

"Who says I haven't raided your room while you were out?" She said simply, crossing her arms. "Come on Danny, I'll be fine. I'm not made out of porcelain. I'm not going to die from a little scrape. Let's go." She limped slightly as she started walking towards where the cocoa stand stood not a hundred yards away. "I just have to walk it out."

Danny sighed and shook his head, used to her stubborn qualities. A few steps later, he bent down and hoisted the girl into his arms, carrying her bridal style with an annoyed tone in his voice. "Why the Hell are you so insistent?"

She squeaked, looping her arms about his neck so she wouldn't fall over again, her heart beating a million miles an hour. "B-Because! If I wasn't I wouldn't be me!" She said stubbornly, her cheeks warm as she looked to the side. "And I can walk by myself thank you!"

"Alright, alright... sue me for doing you a favor." He rolled his eyes and gently set her back down, before grabbing his wallet in his coat pocket, filtering out a few ones. "One hot cocoa." He told the teen that was working at the stand. A few moments later he was given change, and a styrofoam cup with her drink. "Here you go, my treat since you hurt your leg." He handed her the cup, giving her an apologetic smile.

She opened her mouth to protest, before nodding her thanks, sipping on the cocoa quietly. "Thank you Danny. I know I haven't said it lately..." She said slowly, "But I'm really lucky to have you as a brother."

"Well I'm starting to have second thoughts about you." He replied with humor lining his voice, as he patted her head and lead her away from the crowd. "...You sure you're leg's okay?"

She smiled slightly, sticking her tongue out at him. "You're not carrying me bridal style again, don't even think about it." She was quiet for a while, still limping as they walked side by side. "Though..." She started, "I'm partial to a piggyback ride. Like when we were younger..."

He turned to her and raised his hand, a grin on his face. "Say no more. Just... be careful not so spill that drink on me... I'm sure it's scalding." He turned around and knelt on the pavement, motioning for her to crawl on his back.

She laughed, looping her arms about his neck first so that the cocoa sat beneath his chin, and she held on with the other arm about his collarbone, hopping on his back, supporting herself with her knees on his sides until he could grab hold of them.

He quickly grabbed her, hoisting her up farther on his back so that she wasn't trying to hold onto him for dear life. "Where to, princess?" He asked with a smile. "Your haunted house?"

"Of course!" She said with a huff/laugh, waving the cocoa under his nose. "Want a sip?"

"Don't mind it I do." He leaned forward, taking a sip as she held it in front of him since his arms were currently occupied with keeping her up. Times like these were so scarce ever since Sam became a teenager - physical contact was like a sin for her, since she had this whole gothic exterior to uphold, not to mention a much busier school life. When they were younger, they would go to all kinds of places with Jazz, do so much together... he really missed it, especially now that he's starting to get the feeling every once and a while, Sam's trying to avoid him. "It's good," He replied back softly.

She flushed warmly, and thanked god that he couldn't see her warm cheeks, and shifted the cup, hugging onto him tighter with one arm as she took a sip herself. "Yeah, it is." If her heart could dance anymore then it was already, it would have burst out of her chest.

Danny kept her up on his back the duration of their walk, all the while looking around to see where the haunted house was built. "Y'know," He said with a smile, though he knew she couldn't see it. "I'm actually kind of glad we came here. We really haven't spent a lot of time together since you started high school."

She blinked at that, her arms tightening a little around his neck, Kwan's words coming back to her as she gave a wry smile. "Well, I can always be your shadow big brother." She teased in his ear. "I'm growing up you know." unfortunately.

"Y-yeah... I know that." He mumbled back, his voice blatantly showing his disappointment, much like a father would. "That's why I'm not being your shadow in high school, like I did ever since kindergarten." He laughed lightly. "Guess it's hard to grip the fact that you don't need your big brother around anymore."

"Yeah." She said a little sourly, burying her chin into his neck as she let him carry her unhappily. He was right though, She shouldn't need him. "Anyway, I wouldn't want to cramp your style. Having your little Goth sister begging for your attention." She teased him. "Might hurt your social persona."

"Nahh. Don't have much of a social life anyway... The only people I ever hang around are Tucker and Gregor. And you know them." He grinned, looking up and finally seeing the line for the haunted house. 'Ghost-O-Rama'? The media really does like to squeeze Amity for all it's worth... "Ooh, look Sammy." He grinned wider. "Ghosts! You like ghosts, don't you?" Though she may not be anywhere near the mental state of what she was ten years ago, he knew for a fact ghosts terrified her more than anything when she was small... he wondered if that wasn't part of the reason why she didn't like ghost hunting.

She flinched slightly, but put up a brave face, trying to make her voice sound completely at ease. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" She squirmed on his back as the stepped into the line. "Plus, you're here." She added hastily.

"Yeah, I'll keep the big bad sheets and painted cardboard cutouts at bay for you." He replied in a baby-tone.

"Ok that's it." She kicked him violently in the side. "Put me down jerkface."

"Ow! Hey, I've still got a bruise there from the last time Jazz roundhoused her foot into my ribs!" He groaned, but carefully bent back to set her down, making sure she had a steady footing before letting her go. "I'm beginning to wonder if all female Fentons are genetically this destructive..."

"How about we find out how destructive we can be." She threatened him with her fist, only to pause when the operator of the ride opened his hand. "Five bucks a ride lady."

Danny rolled his eyes and shook his head, ignoring her threat for the most part as he fished out his wallet again. "Here," He handed the man a ten, before patting Sam on the back to get her moving. "C'mon... better hope this is worth ten bucks."

"I was going to pay." She hissed, swatting at him as she climbed into the cart, sitting down and scooting over for her brother. "Geeze, I'm not completely broke." That was a complete lie.

"Mmh-hm." He replied with barely a mumble, as if he really wasn't paying attention as he slid in beside her, watching as more people pooled in the small carts. "Well, think of it as my treat."

She didn't yell at him again, instead, she tucked her knees to her chest in front of the bar, half jumping as the cart began to move, making its way down the pathway. She half-consciously scooted closer to her brother, the creepy music starting up as they moved into the darkness. "This isn't going to be too bad." She whispered, not knowing why she was being so quiet.

It was always a little frustrating to be the only Fenton that was truly afraid of ghosts.

"Well these haunted houses are never that reali-_OH MY GOD_!" if she could have climbed into his lap she would have, hugging him about the neck when the most realistic ghost she had ever seen burst out in front of her.

The action in itself earned a startled yell from the raven-haired boy, as his neck was pulled into a painful hold by the terrified girl. Screams echoed inside the ride (a mix of fear and excitement), giving the poor boy a headache right at the start. 'Oh for chrissakes, that's not even plausible.' He thought to himself, before he rolled his eyes and scooted closer to Sam, wrapping one arm around her back as she continued to cling to him. Seems she never changed... Oh well. "It's okay Sammy," He laughed lightly in her ear, getting more and more amused by the second.

She was to frightened to blush over his arm about her, and she crunched her eyes closed as another one burst out, this one decapitated, and people screamed as well, some giggling as they rode past it, into a spider web filled area, before suddenly a blue ghost popped out, waving his free hand as he carried...a Box labeled 'stage parts' under one arm. "I am the box ghost! _BEWARE_!"

'So far, this entire ride has proven itself as one of the cheapest imitation-' Danny suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as a blue-colored mist seeped from his lips, spying the familiar blue-skinned specter "...Or not." He groaned, shoulders slumping. Thirty minutes. _Thirty minutes_ he's been out of the house. "I need a vacation." He mumbled before slipping away from Sam, somehow escaping her grasp. "Sam, stay here! I see a faulty power cable... I'll be right back!"

"Danny!" She gasped, clutching the bar as she looked up at the ghost in front of her. Oh god.

Not moments later, a rather loud 'oops' rang through the tunnel, as the power cable 'accidentally' tripped, completely knocking out the lights and halted the cars in an abrupt stop. Several people screamed, the majority of them still thinking the show was still part of the ride - but it wasn't too bad since some afternoon light still filtered into the otherwise pitch black tunnels. "Look, can we make this quick? I'm kind of busy right now." A white-haired teen flew up beside the Box Ghost, arms crossed and plainly giving him an annoyed expression as his emerald eyes flared dangerously.

"You cannot defeat me!" The box ghost declared, shaking his box at him. "For I have a box of uh..._stage stuff_! _BEWARE_!" And with that, he threw the box at him and promptly fled for it. Damn that Ghost kid.

Sam squirmed her way out of the seat, stumbling out of the cart just in time to see a rather large box heading her way. "Oh cripes."

And just mere moments before the box came crashing down on the metal rails, Sam was whisked upwards, suddenly carried by a pair of cold, strong arms. "We must stop meeting like this." Came a flirtatious voice as light pooled around them, revealing that they were already flying above the haunted ride, the afternoon sun momentarily blinding her.

"_You_!" She gasped.

----------------------------------------

Ohoho, plot device! Sammy doesn't like ghosts! Teehee, wonder how that'll affect her relationship with a certain ghost boy. ;D Oh, the irony. And cliffhangers. We love you.

Until next time, y'all!

Zoey


	3. Ghostly Visitor

Woooooowee. Get ready for a bit of a long chapter. Well, it's really only 8 pages long, but seeing as I usually do 4 to 6, that's long for me. Kinda. Sorta. Hey look, a dragonfly….

Anyway, on to chapter two. Thank you everyone who reviewed! ChibiSamiSala and I love you all!

-------------------------------------------------

Chapter Three

_Ghostly Visitor_

"_You_!" She gasped, surprised as they flew upwards, and she squirmed in his arms, a frustrated look gracing her features. "You really need to stop kidnapping me!"

"Aww, is that what you call it?" Big green eyes gazed down at her with feigned sadness as they lowered down, hovering mere feet above the planks of the pier behind the ride he just whisked her away from. Gently he set her down, his own feet touching ground soon afterwords. As soon as she turned to face him, she saw the familiar tall figure of Danny Phantom, the town's supposed ghostly hero. "And after I saved you, yet _again_ from another attack."

She flushed in aggravation, crossing her arms. "You know, your always there when I need you, it sorta makes me suspicious that you might just _SET_ those things up." She said quickly, "My brother is probably worried, I should go."

"Wait!" A strong gloved hand wrapped around her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "I'm sure he's fine...I mean..." He looked away with a bit of a frown, obviously wearing his emotions on his sleeve - like always. "I haven't seen you in a while."

She stopped, looking back at him with a little frustration. "Phantom, I can't just run off on him..." She couldn't help but feel a little bad for the ghost, and it was obvious on her features. "What if he's looking for me…"

"You're a strong girl," He replied with a confident grin. "I'm sure he knows you're alright. Besides, it was just the Box Ghost... every Fenton knows he's no real threat."

"And so, you shouldn't have had to drag me out of there." She said firmly, crossing her arms as she slowly backed away, "Since any Fenton knows that ghost is harmless, I'm sure you do too…" And the moment she was close enough to the crowds to make a run for it, She did – and sprinted out of view.

The white-haired teen blinked as his shoulders slumped, a little more than disappointed that she ditched him so quickly. _'She must really hate me._' He thought to himself, his features falling even more. It seemed that ever since she told him she had a crush on another boy when she was twelve, she avoided him more and more. Yeah, at first she thought he was cool and easy to talk to (she told him herself) when she was younger, but now... she was growing up and quickly caught onto his little 'flirting' act he seemed to adopt around her. Damn... "_AH_! The ride!" He practically yelled, before going intangible and flying through the walls of the haunted house, hoping he could make it back before Sam did.

Sam panted slightly as she slowed down in the crowd, people pouring out of the ride by the dozens, cackling that they had been lucky enough to see Phantom of all people battling a ghost. It was a perfect haunted house in their opinion. "Danny!" She called out, worried that her brother might have ran off trying to find her and she'd not locate him again. The last thing he needed was to ruin his surprise birthday party...

A strong hand fell on her shoulder, followed by a worried voice. "Sam? You okay?"

She stiffened at the voice, and for a good moment she thought that her old friend-turned-stalker had followed her into the crowd. She rumpled up her nose, growling as she whirled around with her fingers curled into a ball. "I _TOLD_ you not to follow me Pha-"

Surprisingly enough, her fist was caught before it went any further, a rather surprised Danny looking down at her curiously. "You told me not to follow you?" He asked simply, dumbfounded.

She blanched, squirming her hand out of his. "Oh...sorry Danny, I thought you were someone else…" She said quickly, her shoulders slumping in relief as she gave him a weak smile, before blowing on her fingers, her proximity to Phantom leaving her more chilled then before. "Sorry, when I saw the ghost, I panicked." She half-lied.

"Well, I'm sorry I left... tripped over the power cord." He laughed with nervous embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head. "Tried to fix the damn thing too... sorry for losing track of you. I know how you are around ghosts..."

She shook her head, about to respond when a single white snowflake fell onto her nose, melting against her pale skin as the sky began to melt into a pallet of gray.

With a curious gaze, Danny looked up towards the sky as snow began to fall, lightly sprinkling the already ice-laden ground. "Oh, wonderful." He laughed softly, shaking his head. "Another snowfall...they're still cleaning the roads from last night, too." He reached over and pulled the cat-eared hood around his sister's head, pulling it closed in a very maternal fashion. "Why don't we head home? Don't want to get caught in this."

She fought back a blush, pulling her hood out of his hands as she shook her head, trying to stammer out something to keep him here. "Uh, I'd rather not! I mean, I didn't even get to finish my ride, we have to do something..." She had to call jazz, find out how much longer she had to stall. "I uh..._I have to pee_!"

"Ah...okay." He blinked a few times, not sure why she was acting so frantic. "Well the restrooms are at the front of the pier..."

"Great lets go." She grabbed his hand, dragging him along with intention, despite her little limp. "I really _really_ have to go bad. That Cocoa went right through me." She rambled.

He let her lead him away from the haunted house (which in all it's ironic glory, really did seem to be haunted, or at least used to be), but he kept looking up at the sky periodically, looking a little worried. "Sam," He pulled her aside once they made their way to the concrete building at the pier's fence. "Go on in, but we need to leave once you're done. The sky's looking a little dark... we should get home before mom starts to worry."

"Uh sure." She said uneasily, "I might be a bit, so, don't go far." She said quickly, slipping into the bathroom to drag her cellphone out, typing her sisters number quickly as she locked a stall behind her, sitting on the toilet cover. "Come on Jazz, pick up..."

Four rings later, the rather tired voice of Jazz answered, her breath a little labored. "Sam, is that you?" There were a few voices in the background along with some clattering. "Good lord... Dad almost blew the roof sky-high with one of his new inventions. He said it was his gift for Danny..." Her voice trailed off before she yelled something incoherent away from the phone. "Sorry about that... "

"Jazz, we have a problem!" She hissed, drawing her knees up. "Danny wants to go home right now, it's snowing out here. Is everything ready? Is everyone there? I don't know how much longer I can stall..."

"Hey, hey, calm down." She said with an easy voice. "We're a little stirred up from what dad pulled, but everyone's here and we're just about ready. I'm sure by the time you drive back everything will be in place." There was a pause as Maddie's voice carried over on the other line from in the distance. "Gotta go, mom needs me to help with the candles. See you in a bit Sammy!" And with that, the phone clicked off.

she sighed, her shoulders slumping as she stood up, shivering as she tucked her cellphone away and blew on her fingers to try and warm them again. She was prone to being cold, her thin form refused to gain any body fat, or body meat to protect her from the elements. She was always getting sick, to the point that it was almost a condition. But that came with being born so early. Sometimes she told herself she wasn't meant to exist in this family at all. "Alright Danny, I'm ready to head home now..." She said quietly, withdrawn as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"...You okay?" He asked just as quietly, reaching down to feel her forehead as he checked for a fever. "You look a little down."

"I'm fine." She said simply, swatting away his hand. "Come on, let's go home." The eagerness that she had exhibited earlier was nearly gone completely, back to the distant way that she treated him a lot of the time. "Mom's worried, I called her real quick and had to listen to her and Jazz." She lied.

"Ahh, that's why..." He laughed softly, walking beside her at an even pace. Those two really did worry a little too much... their mom was always a doting parent whenever she wasn't working on her inventions, and Jazz was always fixed on giving her younger siblings a hard time about 'psychological teen stress'. More so Sam than Danny, since she was Gothic. "Well, sorry the ride didn't go as planned. Maybe we can come back tomorrow once the repairs are done."

"Nah." She shook her head, following him to the car and looking distracted as she stood next to the door, waiting for it to be opened. She was looking forward to giving Danny his present, but...As soon as they got there, she knew..._She_ would be all over him the entire time. Just the thought put her into a depression.

"Aww, is Sammy scared of another ghost attack?" He cooed, before slipping into the car and unlocking her door for her.

She just glared at him, flopping down in her seat as she bundled her fingers into the sleeves of her jacket, blowing on them steadily to try and warm herself up. Ugh, she was going to be sniffly tomorrow and she knew it. "You and Jazz might not be bothered by them, but I cant help it. I'm sorry I'm not like the rest of the family."

"Nahh," He slipped the keys in the ignition and started the car, warm air filtering from the vents. "You don't have to be like me and Jazz and devote your career to ghost hunting. In fact, I advise against it." He backed out of the parking space, and headed towards the main road. "It doesn't exactly pay well, and it's an expensive hobby."

She snorted, grinning just a little as they drove off, Sam cuddled up in the passengers seat as she turned all the heaters on herself, quietly hoping that the girl wasn't able to make it to Danny's party.

The drive was short, as always, so by the time they pulled into the empty driveway, the heater in the car just began to kick on. Funny how that worked. "Did you need help with any of your homework this weekend?" He asked as he turned the car off and stepped out, adjusting his jacket so the collar pulled up against his jawbone.

"No." She said distractedly, peering into the windows at a distance as she saw shadows scrambling into hiding places, and she let him go ahead of her, hugging herself as she stepped out of the car and back into the snow. "Come on, I'm freezing."

He nodded and patted her back as they came upon the front door, still feeling a little bad that their outing didn't go as well as planned. Well, thus is the life of his luck... "We're home!" He called as he opened the door, already sliding his coat off.

"_SUPRISE_!" came a massive shout, green confetti exploding overtop of him as people blew on noise makers and a certain voluptuous girl threw her arms about his neck, planting a messy kiss on his cheek. "Happy Birthday!"

The poor boy paled the moment the light flickered on, confetti sticking in his hair as he stood there, stunned for a better word as he was promptly hugged by the dark-skinned girl, a kiss soon after. "Hey Valerie." He laughed, though he didn't look too happy about the commotion in the living room. "And here I was, thinking I got to spend my birthday in peace for once..." He sighed, wrapping an arm around Valerie's waist in a friendly manner. "God, you even drug Tucker and Greg into this?" His two friends waved meekly from behind the couch.

"What are friends for?" Tucker grinned, placing his hands on his hips as he took a few steps forward, and patted Sam on the head. "Hey Sammy! Did you two have fun at the carnival?"

Sam wrinkled her nose at the African American boy, swatting his hand off her head just as Danny's older friend swept her off her feet, swinging her around in a circle. "Sammy! It has been long since I have seen you!" Gregor laughed, ignoring the 14 year old Goth's screech of indination as she pounded on his shoulder. "_GREGOR, PUT ME DOWN_!"

Danny laughed as the Hungarian teen clung helplessly to his sister, Sam screaming something about 'goth indifference'. "Alright, that's enough... hands off the little sister. It's just about time for her afternoon scowl."

Gregor just grinned, setting the frail girl down before pressing a playful kiss to her forehead. "Ah never any fun for me."

Sam flushed angrily, feeling as the odd one out as Valerie quietly twined her fingers with Danny's own, a warm blush on her face. "Come on Danny, we have presents and games waiting for you."

"Presents I can do. But I'll pass on the games, knowing dad will have his collection of board games out." The raven-haired boy laughed nervously, resting his forehead against Valerie's as he gave her a cute smile.

"Well, I threw the Halloween version of Monopoly in the trash last week..." Jazz replied.

"_JAZZYPANTS HOW COULD YOU_!"

"Now Jack, calm down. I just bought the new one yesterday. So no harm done." Maddie said easily, smiling at all of them. "Now who wants cake?"

Sam didn't say anything, having quietly moved away from the Hungarian teen and his friends, making her way up the stairs as stealthily as she could.

The group down below continued on even as she left, but she was far from forgotten. More than a few times Tucker called from the living room for Sam to come join them, sometimes joined by Gregor, but after they were met with silence, their efforts thinned as the evening went on. Hours passed as the cake was passed around (filled with clear green icing, as courtesy of Maddie's creative insight), and the presents were distributed. Danny started making a fuss not long into the party, having no particular taste for big social get-togethers, especially when it was centered around him. He was just like his younger sister - he didn't like to be the center of attention, it made him feel uneasy. But it seemed as though every year his parents were able to successfully tie him down and make him spend the evening with family and friends, even if their numbers could be counted on a single hand. As the clock struck nine, everyone settled down to watch a movie - of course, only after Tucker called for Sam once more, hoping the younger goth girl would at least join them for a movie. But alas, Sam insisted on staying in her room, obviously upset about something. And of course it didn't have anything to do with the fact that Valerie and Danny were constantly cuddling. Of course not.

And Danny's present sat unmoved beside the girls bed as she cuddled under her comforter, tugging on an extra pair of toe socks before pulling on her warmest night dress, complete with a lolita styled hood, and she hugged her knees, puffing out her cheeks angrily as the more louder moments from downstairs drew her attention, mostly, when ever Valerie laughed, or said something sweet to Danny. God it was almost too much to bear. Her heart felt like it would break.

Not too long after the house became quiet as the movie played, a cold wind passed through her room and chilled the girl in an unearthly manner. "Something wrong, Sammy?" A voice whispered in her ear, cold breath wafting against her skin.

She jumped, gasping as she toppled out of bed, limbs flailing, utterly tangled up in her blanket. "_P-Phantom_!" she squeaked, violet eyes wide as her heart beat out of control in her chest. "Don't _SCARE_ me like that!'

The white-haired ghost teen materialized on her bed, looking down at her with a bit of a scowl. "Well," He propped his chin up against one hand as he watched her writhe out of the sheets she was tangled in. "Maybe I wouldn't have if you hadn't ditched me earlier today."

"I wouldn't have ditched you if you had chosen a better time to bother me." She said annoyed tone, to upset really to argue much with him, and she stood up, smoothing out her dress as she eyed the white haired man warily. "Come to try and drive me insane as well?"

"Hey," He gave her a defensive look, sitting up and crossing his legs as green eyes stared at her intensely. "What's with you lately? No offense, but I haven't done anything to you." His scowl turned into more of a pout. "We used to be close... but lately you've been treating me like you do Tucker and Gregor."

She met him with a defensive look, before lowering her eyes. "As of late you've been acting a lot like tucker or Gregor." She said unhappily, sitting down on the bed a good distance from him. "You keep _flirting_ with me..." the way she said it, it almost sounded like she didn't understand why anyone would.

"Well..." He looked off towards nothing in particular, a small blush creeping up on his cheeks. "Maybe it's because you're growing into a beautiful young lady."

His blush was matched by her own, and she looked off to the side, a little frustrated. "You shouldn't though... I like someone else... I told you that before..."

The familiar cold air swept across her arms as the weight on her bed shifted, Phantom's cheek almost touching her as he leaned into her, suddenly inches away from her. "Aww, who is it? C'mon, you can tell me" He grinned, a playful tone dancing in his voice.

"_Phantom_!" She squeaked, pulling away from him the best she could, her cheeks heating more as she felt the cold across her skin. "Why should I tell _you_?" She asked defensively. "Are you going to go out and bother him half to death?" honestly though, Danny probably wouldn't be bothered by this guy. They were kind of alike, in a way.

"Awww..." His green eyes shimmered with fake crocodile tears as he leaned closer to her even though she backed away. "Of course I wouldn't! I just wanna know!"

"I'm not going to give you a name!" She said quickly, as she nearly lay flat against the bed in her attempt to get away from him. "But if you back off...I'll give you a hint."

"Alright then," He grinned at her, not backing off in the least, as if he would decide when he would depending on if he liked her answer. "Shoot."

She flushed, looking to the side, her arms starting to hurt from supporting her. "Well...he has the most gorgeous blue eyes...and dark black hair. Not the brown black, but almost blue black... Not like mine..." She bit her lip, cheeks heating the more she talked, her tone belaying her feelings. "He's protective, and always looks out for me and I've loved him for ever, more then I should." She felt a bit bitter, "And its never meant to be...but I cant help myself..."

He slowly backed off, giving her breathing space as he gave her an almost melancholic expression. "Has he really been giving you this much pain?" He paused for a moment, emerald eye gazing at the soft comforter they both sat on. "I mean...maybe it's too much to trouble yourself with him."

She slowly sat up, folding her hands in her lap, almost relieved that she could talk to him almost normally again. "I wish it was... but it would hurt so much more to not love him." She said quietly, biting her lip. "I...I don't think he has any clue either... He's always with this other girl who hates me I know it...and..." She looked up at him, wincing. "I doubt you want to hear any of this...I mean...I guess you're in the same position..." Great. Now she felt hurt _and_ guilty.

"Nah." He replied quietly, still not quite catching her gaze in his own. "I mean, I've always been fond of you, Sam. I really do care for you... so I don't mind listening to your problems or anything, if that's what you're saying." He paused and sighed. "I guess I feel a little dejected, but... I'm fine with it as long as I get to spend time with you like we used to."

"Nah." He replied quietly, still not quite catching her gaze in his own. "I mean, I've always been fond of you, Sam. I really do care for you... so I don't mind listening to your problems or anything, if that's what you're saying." He paused and sighed. "I guess I feel a little dejected, but... I'm fine with it as long as I get to spend time with you like we used to."

She dropped her eyes to the bed, her cheeks warming. "Thank you, Phantom..." She murmured, "I really have...missed having you as my confidant." She lifted her eyes up to him, a faint smile dancing on her lips. "I knew you were my best friend for a reason."

The specter's glowing green eyes seemed to sparkle when she said those words, and in an instant, he soundlessly floated down to the floor beside, her pulling her into his cold arms with a warm smile on his features. "Thanks Sam," He spoke, his cheek pressing against hers as he refused to let her go. "That really means a lot to me."

She shivered softly, leaning into his familiar chill as she wrapped her arms about him as well, burying her face into his shoulder as she took comfort in how much he cared for her. "What is wrong with me, Phantom?" She asked softly, hugging him tighter as she felt tears well at her eyes.

He blinked, backing up just enough so that he could look down at her while still holding her securely in his arms. Gently he placed one gloved hand to the back of her head, his gaze softening as his fingers ran through her raven colored locks. Was she...crying? "Hey," He whispered softly, his embrace tightening ever so slightly. "There's nothing wrong with you..."

She shook her head into his shoulder, nibbling on her lip. "Today's his birthday. I can't even get the guts up to give him his present. I saved up all year for it..." Her voice lowered even more, fighting back tears.

There was a long pause in his actions, as if he was surprised by her statement - a little more than he should. "W-why?" He asked, voice cracking just slightly. "It's just a gift... why go through so much trouble?"

"Because...I want it to be special." She rubbed at her eyes angrily. "I didn't want it to be just some gift that he gets in a group from his friends. I just...I don't know." She opened watery violet eyes, nibbling on her bottom lip. "A part of me wants him to notice, but I know he wont, and he shouldn't." She looked over at the carefully wrapped package. "I'm an idiot really..."

'Well, it is a little weird that you want to make sure it's special for no apparent reason...' He thought to himself, but didn't say anything. "You're not an idiot." He insisted, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers, green eyes meeting damp violet ones. "You're a wonderful person who cares about her family. That doesn't make you an idiot."

She jumped, her eyes widening as she yanked back. "I never said it was for my family!" She panicked, eyes widening. "What made you think that?"

Immediately the ghost teen became paler than he already was, his voice stammering as he tried to think up a good excuse. "W-Well I couldn't help but notice when I came here, there were a lot of people downstairs!" He defended quickly. "I just figured maybe it was your dad's or brother's birthday, because you did say 'his birthday'..." He gulped, blushing slightly. "Ah... did I get that wrong?"

"Yes! _VERY WRONG_!" Anyone who knew her well could tell that she was panicking and lying very badly. "No no no, He just happens to have the same birthday as my brother! That's all! I mean..." Crap... "This present isn't for him."

"Oh..." He blinked, buying it completely though he could tell when she was buying. "I just figured maybe you were nervous because he has a bunch of friends down there... but I guess that's not the case." He smiled apologetically, his fingers still gently running through her hair. "Sammy, you need to stop worrying too much. Just tell the guy you like him, and I'm sure he'll return the feelings. You're an amazing, beautiful girl." He leaned in, tenderly kissing her forehead. "And don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I wish I could." She sighed, flushing as he kissed her forehead. "Bu--" She paused, her eyes widening as a fist pounded on her door lightly. "Sammy, I wonder if you would like to come down." Gregor's voice reached her ears. "We are about to, how do you say, play a game outside. We need one more for a even game."

Phantom looked towards the door with a nervous look, half expecting the visitor to walk in. That would be the last thing he needs, since the position he and Sam were in could look very compromising. With a soft tap to her head, he winked at her, grinning lightly. "Go ahead and have fun, okay? You need it." He whispered.

She half smiled at him, giving a half hug quickly before nodding. "I'll see you around phantom." And with that she quietly stood up, waiting for him to leave before making another move.

Almost immediately after she left is embrace, he faded from sight, most likely flying off through the roof.

---------------------------------------------

See, look. I CAN do chapters that don't end in cliffhangers. I just like 'em like that. xD

Yes, yes… as you can probably guess, both Tucker and Gregor (Who happens to be really Hungarian), have blatant crushes on Sam. Haha. Lolicons.

Believe it or not, this should be the last chapter before the plot picks up and finally takes hold. Look forward to the next update! Until next time, y'all!

Zoey


	4. Incredulity

LIEK OH EM GEE.

Only a few more days before Urban Jungle! Rejoice!

And in celebration of this new baby episode, here's an early update. ;D Prepare for a shocker chapter, though.

Onward!

------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Four

_Incredulity_

She sighed softly, looking down at the present for a few minutes, before quietly picking it up, hugging it to her chest as she opened the door, looking up at Gregor with a little smile. "Ok, I'll play. Have you seen Danny? I still have to give him his present..." She said slowly, as Gregor laughed, ruffling her hair and pointing to the bathroom. "He said he was going there last time I saw him."

And just as Gregor finished, the door opened, Danny wiping at his mouth with a surprised look, followed by an apologetic one. "Sorry Greg... I ate a bit too much cake. Couldn't keep it down." He laughed.

Gregor arched an eyebrow, about to argue when Sam grabbed her brother's hand, looking a wee bit nervous. "Hey Danny, can I see you for a minute before we go downstairs?"

He smiled and shooed Gregor away, telling him he'd be down in a minute. "What's up? You feeling okay?" He asked, placing his hands in his pockets in a casual manner. "It's not like you to be cooped up in your room for this long..."

"Yeah… I uh...I wanted to give you something." She said quietly as Gregor shrugged and headed down stairs. "I was...taking my time wrapping it." She shoved the present into his hands, nibbling on her bottom lip.

The raven-haired teen blinked, holding the gift for a while, as if surprised. "But I thought you said-" He quickly caught himself, trying to cover it up with a cough and looking the other way. "Ah... thanks, but... you know I don't expect you to buy me anything on holidays, Sam."

She wrinkled her nose up, "Its your birthday Danny, Eighteen is a very special birthday." She lowered her eyes. "I just wanted to get you something. I hope you like it. You know...for being such a annoying little sister and all." She wanted to kick herself.

"Aww," He laughed, before he bent down and placed a soft kiss to her forehead, mussing up her hair afterwards. "You're not an annoying little sister. I just worry about you sometimes is all." He looked off to the side, muttering something about magazines.

She battled desperately against a blush, before grinning. "I'll see you downstairs Danny. Go ahead and open your present." She tore down the stairs, and out into the yard.

He watched as she tore down the stairs, wondering why she was so eager all of the sudden to join the rest of the group. "Women and their mood swings." He muttered and left it at that, before he slowly began to unwrap the gift, haphazardly throwing the paper - that looked oddly familiar, covered in little rockets - to the ground. A plain cardboard box, nothing fancy... but when he opened it, he almost fainted. A tour book of Cape Canaveral, something he had been trying to get his hands on for weeks. "This edition isn't supposed to be out yet!" He yelled to no one in particular, then continued to gawk at the second gift that lay at the bottom. One VIP pass to a private tour of NASA during a summer launch. Those things cost a fortune... "Sam..." He whispered, looking towards the stairs, as if expecting to see her standing there with a grin. She really went all out for this... "Had she really been saving up for this all year?" He whispered, staring at the ticket with wide blue eyes. She didn't do anything near as spectacular for Jazz's birthday earlier this year, not to mention mom or dad. He would really have to do something special for her in return...

"Sam?" Valerie asked curiously as the young girl ran out, wearing what looked like a strange cross between a gothic lolita dress and a night gown, the hood sitting cutely on her head, rosy cheeks and almost glowing purple eyes staring out from behind it. "What are you so happy about?" She arched an eyebrow, leaning on her hip.

"Yeah... that smile you've got almost scares me." Tucker gave the girl a nervous look, having been kicking an empty soda can along the front drive.

She shrugged, stealing the can with her hasty feet, and kicked it about. "Just read something that made me happy." She lied easily, swinging her arms as she kicked the can. Gregor smiled at her warmly, looping a flirtatious arm about her shoulders. "I quite enjoy this side of her."

Tucker gave Gregor a small glare as he got awfully friendly with Sam. "Well I didn't say I didn't like it." He frowned and stopped the can as it rolled towards him. "I was just saying, it's a little freaky to see a goth grinning that much. But," He rubbed the back of his head, giving Sam a sheepish grin. "You do look a lot prettier when you smile, Sam."

Sam looked between the two boys with a slightly uncomfortable expression, plucking Gregor's arm off her shoulders. "Uh that's nice guys, but don't get used to it." Her plush lips sealed in a familiar frown, and she pressed her dress down to her knees, stepping away from the Hungarian teen.

And just as she stepped away, a pair of strong arms wrapped about her shoulders, Valerie letting out a word of protest. "Are you two picking on my favorite little sister?" Danny grinned, setting his chin atop her head with an overly joyed tone. "Or just flirting, _again_?"

"W-we weren't flirting!" Tucker replied defensively, holding his hands up as a dark red blush spread across his cheeks. "At least, I wasn't..."

"I have been caught, how do you say, red handed." Gregor grinned, not at all ashamed of it, and Sam flushed, looking up at Danny with a growing smile. Obviously he had opened his present...

Valerie huffed, looking mightily uncomfortable as the two siblings met eyes, and crossed her arms. "Can we start the game?"

"Well, where's Jazz?" Tucker shrugged, looking towards the house. "Is she still inside? We told her we were ready..."

"She's helping mom and dad with the dishes... Looked like she was almost done though." Danny mused, still happily clinging to Sam like a little kid.

"Well I'll go get her." Valerie said in an even more annoyed tone, heading for the front door.

"Alright then... I _GET TO BE ON SAM'S TEAM!_" The African-American announced with a grin, raising his hand high in the air.

"Wait, what?" Gregor gasped, only to wine when Sam whirled about and clung to her brother, giving the white haired teen a look that said she had already chosen her team.

Danny grinned and hugged her back, before turning to Valerie with an apologetic look. "Sorry Val, little sis comes first."

"Okay, I'm ready!" Jazz called as she walked out the front door, giving the group an odd look. Tucker and Gregor looked like they were shot down (she guessed it had something to do with how Danny and Sam were clinging to each other), and Valerie looked more than a little sour. "...Did I miss something here?"

She gave a little growl, stuffing her hands on her hips. "Nothing at all. Come on Jazz, your on my team."

"Uhh...sure." The older red-head gave her a blank smile, figuring she was pissed Danny wasn't with her. "So... we still playing manhunt?"

"Yes." Sam said quickly, before throwing her hand up. "_NOT IT_!"

Tucker quickly followed. "_NOT IT_!"

"_NOT_--Aww damn it!" Valerie Hissed, stomping her foot. "You guys suck!"

"All's fair in love and war." Tucker gave her a suggestive grin.

Valerie would have hit him if Gregor hadn't slapped the mailbox. "Here's your base!" And then, ran for it.

Danny laughed then grabbed Sam's hand, tugging her along out onto the sidewalk. "Where to?" He asked, though he just kept moving.

Valerie growled as they dashed off, Shouting after them. "I haven't even _STARTED COUNTING YET!_" She shouted, before turning around, closing her eyes. "Come on Jazz. One...two...three..."

Jazz only grinned and shook her head, but followed Valerie in counting.

Sam laughed, letting him lead her. "How about the woods, you know, where we built that old fort?"

"I dunno, that's a little far away... you think they'd get mad?" He looked up towards where Valerie and Jazz (Who seemed to still be laughing at the other girl's expression). The fort was near the park, and that was a little ways down the road... "And what if Tuck and Greg thought of that too? I mean, we all built it..."

"Then we'll kick them out. Each team for themselves." She said manically, "Unless you have a better idea." She placed her hands on her hips.

He just laughed and shook his head, but continued onward down the road. "Alright then! To the fort!"

--------------

And as the two sibling ran off towards the park (at first closely followed by Tucker and Gregor, though Sam was able to persuade them to quit long before they got to the fort), the night went on as planned, everyone allowing themselves to be lost in their childish play if only for one night. Of course the constants were there - Tucker and Gregor continued to hit on Sam (One more blatantly than the other), and Valerie kept exchanging stone cold glares with the younger goth girl, most of the time, while clinging to Danny. But as the hours passed, their friends returned home one by one, leaving Jazz, Danny and Sam fooling around outside in fits of laughs and giggles, before Maddie called them in... only to scold them for being stained with mud and grass, and ordered them each a shower before bed, which would have gone without saying. Maddie was more than happy to see her three children able to get along so well, but sometimes she worried they were a bit immature when it came to situations such as these. Even Jazz, who graduated from high school just last year, had weeds and twigs in her hair (probably from chasing after Tucker after he ran up that tree), and was covered in filth, not to mention a few cuts and bruises that wouldn't go unattended through the night. More or less, Danny decided he was grateful for the surprise party, though even more grateful to his little sister, who's present he hadn't forgotten. Minutes before she fell asleep and moments after he stepped out of the shower, he quietly snuck into her room, bending over to gently kiss her forehead. "Good night, Sammy." He whispered and left her room just as quietly as he came.

The next morning found the young girl with a smile on her lips, knees tucked up to her chest as she snuggled under her thick comforters, the snow having fallen thickly during the night, leaving the streets and trees as snowy white as a certain Phantom's hair. Her alarm went off, playing a tencho version of The Adam's Family theme song and she groaned; tucking herself deeper into the comforters. Finally she decided to get up, and wiggled her toes around until she found the clothing she had set out the day before under the sheets, and proceeded to get dressed like that, never leaving the comfort of her bed until she was fully changed, and wasn't going to be frozen when she vacated it.

There were a few incoherent words exchanged from the living room below, the tinkering of plates echoing in the otherwise silent home (that is, if you ignore the constant wailing of "_wake up you loser! wake up you loser!"_ of Danny's alarm - but because of that, no one could hear Jazz's).

She gave a half grin, rubbing her hands together as she went to brush her teeth and attempt to soothe her wild locks, finally giving up and letting them sit as they wished, and headed down stairs with a yawn. "Mooom? Whats for Breakfa--" She stopped sharply at the door to the kitchen, her violet eyes widening. "Who..?"

"Hello Samantha." A white haired man said with a simple grin, sipping at his tea as he crossed his legs and raised an eyebrow at her. "Beautiful Morning isn't it?"

"...Mom..." She asked uneasily, as Maddie stepped into the room with a plate full of bacon, a unreadable expression on her face.

"Sammy, dear..." The woman gave her daughter a rather empty smile. "Join us, won't you? Surely you remember Mr. Masters from when you were younger..."

She nodded slowly, not liking how the man's light eyes roamed over her features as she sat down, tucking her legs beneath her as her Father came in with a almost forced smile on his face. "Good morning Sammy-pants." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and gave her a tight, almost crushing hug, before sitting down as well. "Is that bacon?"

Vlad smiled warmly up at the red haired woman, and stood, quietly taking the plate from her in a gentlemanly way, his hands sitting on top of her own for much longer then needed, before he set it down. "It is so nice to see you all again, though, I didn't expect it to be under such situations of course."

"Yes, well..." Maddie replied in a strained voice, almost as if she was battling a rush of emotions. "I'm still not sure I can find this to be possible, Vlad... I want to see the blood work on Danni..." She paused, sighing and sitting down on the chair perpendicular to her husband's.

"I have it right here my dear." He said easily, pushing the folder into her hands, smiling easily. "I made sure that everything was definite before I brought this up to you. After all, these are two very grown up girls that we are dealing with here."

Sam looking between the two with a quirked eyebrow as her father stayed oddly quiet. "What...are you guys talking about?" She couldn't help but ask, curious.

Slow creaking footsteps descended the stairs, as a very tired Danny walked down, followed by Jazz - who was completely tidy and put together, as if it were a school day. Much unlike her brother, who was in naught but a pair of torn-up jeans and a rumpled white button-up shirt. "Mom, what's-" The red-headed daughter looked down, blue eyes widening at the sight of their guest they had sitting the living room. "Uh... _Danny_?" She emphasized his name as she reached down and grabbed his collar roughly, stopping him in his tracks.

"Ahg - Jazz, what are you..." He looked up, blinking a few times before his eyes narrowed dangerously at so -called 'Mr. Masters'. "_Vlad_." He said in a mock greeting tone, his voice oddly deep.

"Good morning little badger." He said amiably, "Happy belated Birthday by the way." He stood and laid his hand lightly upon Sam's Shoulder as if it was nothing. "I believe I have a surprise birthday gift for you."

"Yay, food!" A small girlish voice erupted from the hallway, as a blur of familiar raven hair whizzed past the group, the small form settling herself in front of the coffee table and promptly began eating the bacon set out before her. She turned around, big blue eyes peering innocently at the group around her, her oversized hoodie almost falling off one shoulder, barely brushing up against her short ponytail. "Daddy... who are they?"

Sam nearly jumped out of her seat, looking over to see a young girl of her age eagerly ingesting her mother's food, and arched an eyebrow. She looked so much like Danny it was almost creepy. "Um..."

"Danni, remember that little thing that I had to tell you when everyone was here?" Vlad asked amiably, never taking his hand from the girls shoulder. "Well I think I should explain it now, if everyone would take a seat."

Danni set herself comfortably in the couch right beside her father, as Jazz and Danny carefully made their way to the seat beside the couch, though the raven-haired boy refused to sit - he settled with an undeterred glare pointed at Vlad. "What are you up to?" He asked bluntly, taking no time to think about manners.

"_Daniel_, that's no way to talk to your godfather!" Maddie scolded.

Danny let out a snort, and folded his arms, looking the other way like he just really didn't give a damn.

"Thank you...Maddie..." The white haired man gave a tight smile, before nodding.

"Danielle...Samantha..." He said slowly, "I know this must come as a shock, but you two have been living with the wrong families. Danni, this is your mother, Maddie...Fenton...And Samantha..." He gave a warm, almost fake, smile. "I hope you can accept me as your real father."

Sam nearly choked on her own air, leaping to her feet. "_WHAT_!"

And a disturbing silence settled through the house.

----------------------------------------------

Ooh, was that evil? Yes, yes I believe it was. –Manic grin- Flames are certainly welcome!

Not much else to say, but enter the contest! Link: http zilleniose. Deviantart. Com

Lookit the latest journal entry, m'kay? And enter! You'll get some nifty prizes if you win. ;D

Much loves

Zoey


End file.
